Best Year Ever-pt 12 of the 6th holiday marathon-Sammy & Mari
by Mari217
Summary: Steve and Catherine ring in 2020 surrounded by love and family.


_Welcome to part 12 of the 6th Annual REAL McRoll Holiday Marathon. There will be a new story every day between now and January 3rd. (Though we retain the right to keep going until January 5th if we're having too much fun.)_

_**Wishing everyone a safe and healthy 2020!**_

* * *

**Best Year Ever**

"Ohh Danno look how cute you were!" Grace pointed to the toddler running across the screen brandishing a toy pistol and holster.

"That's _Uncle Danny?_" Jacob laughed when the little blond boy said, "Me da police."

"Yep, that's D-Dawg alright." Jadon clapped Danny on the shoulder. "Once a cop, always a cop, right?"

"Daniel never wanted to be anything else." Nonna patted his cheek. "Such a good boy."

"That is the sweetest thing," Gabby said, her voice heavy with emotion. "Can I get a copy of this?"

"I don't think that's really necessary …" Danny began before Nonna cut in with, "Of course you can, dear."

Angela barked a laugh when the scene jumped a few years and she appeared onscreen wearing a feather boa and tiara as she sat across a play table from her definitely-not-thrilled big brother having pretend tea.

"You still owe me for that." Danny tried to look put out but his smile gave him away.

"We saw a picture of that last time we visited," Catherine said. "So good with kids, Danny, even as a kid yourself."

"I was an awesome big brother." He grinned and reached across Nonna to gently poke Angela, who was seated on her other side.

"Still are." She smirked. "In spite of your taste in football teams."

"My Jets won, in case you have selective amnesia."

"How could anyone forget," Steve chuckled. "You haven't talked about much else since Sunday."

"Ignore him," Mary teased. "He's just mad our Cowboys beat Washington by ... what was it again … 50 points?"

Aaron, Mary and Catherine thrust their hands in the air and cheered.

Steve mock glared at his sister. "31. And since when are you such a Cowboys fan anyway?"

"Aaron and Catherine converted me," she grinned.

Elizabeth's face lit up as a new image came on the screen. "Nonna, is that you dressed as a scarecrow?"

"It was for a church festival," Nonna replied. "I have never been so itchy in my life."

"Aunt Deb used to dress up as a witch every year to hand out Halloween candy," Mary remembered with a smile.

Deb nodded. "Those pointy toed boots were murder on my feet."

"I remember once when Ang dressed up as a flapper for a costume party at the base," Joseph said. "She was the belle of the ball."

Ang smiled. "And then years later Catherine wore the same dress for the high school talent show."

"We still have it packed away somewhere," Elizabeth said.

"Really?" Casey's ears perked up. "I bet it would make a great Halloween costume." Suddenly she began to stammer. "Not that I would ever expect to borrow such a family heirloom."

"Don't be silly," Ang replied. "We'll dig it out before next October and you can wear it if you want. It's emerald green and would look lovely on you."

Ten minutes later, the camera panned a group of teens before focusing on a teenage couple in acid washed jeans.

"Oh, Jesus." Sal palmed his face at the image of his younger self holding hands with his then girlfriend, now wife.

"What? We were stylin.'" Angela smirked as Francesca's laughter at her parents' looks filled the room. "Okay Dad, if I saw this ten years ago you'd never have gotten away with making fun of anything I wore as a teenager."

"I am so glad my family didn't own a video camera," Jenna chuckled. "And that all my bad fashion choices happened pre-social media."

"Wait, wait, freeze that," Steve said as he grabbed for the remote with a snort as Danny pulled it away. As he leveled away from his partner, Angela snatched the remote from her position on the other side of Nonna.

"Shut up, Steven, and still sneaky, Angela." He nearly managed to hide his own grin as he spoke.

"I didn't say anything yet," Steve said with a smirk. "But if I did I'd ask why you're wearing sunglasses at night…"

"Inside the house, Corey Hart," Angela added, referring to the 80s song.

"I was extremely cool." Danny waved a hand at his sister. "Sal, was I not cool?"

"Sal's the judge of coolness?" Theresa raised her brows.

"Sal was in my class since fifth grade, so he's a lifelong witness." Danny took the remote back and released it from pause. As the video continued more laughter ensued when Francesca said, "Um, Uncle Danny, based on the matching stonewash with mom, maybe my dad shouldn't be judging anyone's coolness."

"Thanks for that, my favorite and only child," Sal teased his daughter.

"Just saying …" She shrugged and wiped a tear of laughter.

Meanwhile in the video, Danny was wearing a neon striped t-shirt topped with a multi colored jacket and backwards baseball hat, Steve barked a laugh.

"Not sayin' you weren't cool," Jadon said, "and you're definitely always lookin' slick now, but how come you're dressed…" he waved a hand at the screen, "like the Fresh Prince of Bel Air?"

"What's that?" Jacob piped up from where he was helping Joan and DJ with a puzzle.

"That was Will Smith back in the day," Jadon supplied.

"Who is still very cool," Danny said triumphantly.

Before anyone could counter, Nonna patted Angela and Danny's knees and said, "Okay, children - young and older - time to turn on the countdown." She looked at Ang and Deb. "Even if it's not Dick Clark."

"Who?" several of the kids asked and as Joseph and Elizabeth grinned at each other, Nonna tuned in to the live feed from Times Square.

"Look, it's where we were!" Joan pointed. "We saw the news words going around!"

"Yeah!" Jacob moved closer to the TV. "We even saw the ball all the way at the top of the building."

"It's so pretty, it's all made of crystal," Kaitlyn said. "Ohh but all those people look cold."

"It's freezing," Danny said. "Like I told Grace last time we were here for the holidays, most people who live here go once."

"We did," Francesca said. "I went with three friends last year. We froze our…" she glanced at the young kids. "tushes off!"

"We usually watch fireworks on the beach," Jenna told the New Jersey family. "And see Times Square on TV."

"That sounds like heaven," Francesca said dreamily. "I vote next New Year's Eve we all come to Hawaii."

"You're all welcome anytime," Jenna replied.

"I don't think I'd want to stand outside in the cold for so many hours." Jess gave a little shudder as she watched the crowd on the tv.

"And that's why people go _once_." Danny nodded. Turning to Steve and Catherine who had a sleeping Angie across her lap, he said, "Somebody's out like a light."

"We wanted her here with everyone, even if she fell asleep." Catherine adjusted the afghan over her daughter's legs and smiled.

"Of course you did, bella." Nonna beamed. "La Famiglia all together."

Catherine leaned into Steve's side as he gently tightened his fingers on her shoulder. "Lots of firsts this year," she whispered softly enough for only him to hear.

"Hmmhmm." He thought of all the milestones their little girl had reached. "For Angie, for us …" His eyes fell on DJ. "For our family."

As everyone began to count down the seconds along with the TV host, Catherine said, "DJ," and patted the place beside her on the loveseat when he looked away from the TV, "come sit with us for the countdown, honey."

"Okay." His smile was bright as he sat next to her and stifled a yawn.

As the count reached ten, Steve leaned in to kiss Catherine and whispered, "Love you, Cath," against her lips.

9 …

"Love you, so much." She placed a hand on his cheek and smiled into his eyes.

8…

"Mommy?" Angie's lashes fluttered open and she pushed to sit up. When she wrapped her arms around her mother's neck, Catherine thought the skewed sleep schedule tomorrow was worth it to have her awake just at that moment.

7…

"Hey, baby girl, you're up to see the new year," Steve said with a kiss to her head full of sleep-tossed curls."First year for that."

6 …

"It's the first time we're celebrating as a family of four," Catherine bent to kiss DJ's cheek. "And we're so happy you're ours."

5 …

Catching on, the little boy kissed Angie's cheek and said, "Me, too. And it's my first time being a big brother!"

4 …

As Angie moved onto her daddy's lap and Catherine lifted DJ into hers, a tear of pure happiness escaped her eye and she entwined her fingers with Steve's.

3…

Cupping his wife's cheek as he caught the lone tear with his thumb, Steve thought for the millionth time how the beautiful woman at his side had brought him back to life so many years ago.

2…

Feeling DJ tighten his fingers around hers, Catherine marveled at where the path they'd started on over twenty years before had led them and how happy she was to be walking every step with Steve.

1…

A fully awake Angie sensed the emotions and reached for DJ's free hand, causing both parents' hearts to swell with love and pride.

"Happy New Year!" the voices rang throughout the room as Catherine leaned into Steve's kiss. "Still us," they said together and smiled before kissing the children.

"Happy New Year, Angie and DJ," they said as DJ repeated the phrase and coaxed, "Say Happy New Year to Mommy and Daddy."

Angie said, "'appy eww yweh!" and seeing the excitement as everyone else exchanged hugs, kisses and greetings, the toddler stood on Steve's lap and added, "Ta da!"

Danny reached the family first and when they stood, he kissed Catherine's cheek before pulling his best friend into a hug. Kneeling to the kids' level, he was grinning broadly as he wished each a happy 2020 before calling out, "Hey, Jacob, come tell Angie and DJ what kind of year this will be."

Hopping over, the jubilant eleven year old lifted Angie and fist bumped DJ. "It's gonna be the _best year, ever!"_

_# End thanks for reading _

_Stay tuned tomorrow as the marathon continues_

* * *

_Find all our stories (in chronological order!) on our website: marirealmcroll dot wixsite dot com backslash real-mcroll_

_Or in the McRoll in the REAL World community here on fanfiction dot net Find us on Tumblr: mcrollintherealworld dot tumblr dot com_

_You can join our mailing list by emailing us realmcroll at yahoo dot com with: Add me, please! in the subject line. Or just drop us a line to say hi! We love hearing from our readers._


End file.
